Awning for mine shafts or tunnels.



Patented Dec. 4, |900.

B. B. WHEELER. AWNING FOR MINE SHAFTS 0B TUNNELS.

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BENJAMIN BERT VHEELER, OF APEX, COLORADO.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 663,316, dated December 4, 1900. Application filed J'nly 2, 1900. Serial No. 22,285. (No model.)

To @ZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN BERT VHEELER, residing at Apex, in the county of Gilpin and State of Colorado, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Awnings for Mine Shafts or Tunnels, of which the following is a specification.

The drip of water from the roofs of mines and tunnels constitutes a serious annoyance to miners and workmen and is a constant source of danger to health. I have devised a drip-averting awning which is light, conveniently portable, and cheap and may be quickly and easily put up or removed, as conditions require. It is adapted for shafts or tunnels of varying width, the supports of the awning proper being eXtensible for this purpose.

The details of construction and combination of parts are as hereinafter described and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure lis a perspective view of a portion of a tunnel with my invention applied as in use. Fig. 2 is mainly a longitudinal section of one of the exten sible awning-supports. Fig. 3 is a crosssection on line 3 3, Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a perspective View of the invention folded or rolled for storage or transportation. Fig. 5 shows a modification.

In Figs. l to 4, A indicates the waterproof fabric constituting the awning proper, and B two telescopic supports for the same. The fabric A is rectangular and provided with heins d at two opposite edges to receive the supports B, which are therefore arranged parallel. Each support B is composed of two tubes or tubular rods b b, (see Fig. 2,) one of which, ZJ', is smaller than the other, b, and thus adapted to slide therein. The larger tube b is provided at its inner open end with a cir! cuint'erential enlargement or collar, through which a clamp-screw C passes. By adjustment of the latter the rods b b' may obviously be clamped in any lengthwise adjustment desii-ed.

The outer ends of the rods b b are pointed, as shown, to adapt them to take a firm hold on the irregular or rough surfaces of the side walls of shafts and tunnels. Spring clasps or clamps D are applied to hold the fabric A in due position and stretched taut on the rods b b. They may also serve to clamp the fabric A when rolled up on one of the supports B,

so as to prevent the same unrolling.

In use the awning is arranged and supported, as shown in Fig. l, over the place where work is to be done. The rods b b' are extended, so that their conical ends rest firmly against the walls of the tunnel and are clamped in such extension by the screws O. The awning proper, A, may be set slightly inclined in order the better to discharge or carry off drip falling upon it from the roof.

It is apparent that the awning may be put up or shifted in position or removed with ease and that when the rods b are pushed into the rods b and the fabric rolled up, as shown in Fig. 4, the whole apparatus may be carried conveniently along with tools used by the miner or workman. Y

In the modification shown in Fig. 5 the awning-supports are composed of rods b2 b3, arranged side by side, one of them sliding in keepers b, attached to the other, and clamped by screws applied to the said keepers, as shown.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The improved awning for averting drip in mines and tunnels, the same Acomprising two sets of telescopio tubes, each tube having a pointed outer end, screws for clamping the tubes of each set on each other, and the awning proper, having hems at opposite edges, to receive said tubes, as shown and described.

2. The improved awning for use as specified, the saine comprising two sets of eXtensible supports, each consisting of two parallel parts adapted to slide lengthwise on each other, means for clamping the said parts in any adjustment, and the awning proper, applied to the two sets of supports on opposite sides, whereby the apparatus is adapted to be secured transversely in mines or tunnels having walls at different distances apart, as shown and described.

BENJAMIN BERT WHEELER.

Witnesses:

GEO. E. FRITZ, WM. E. GARVER. 

